Alex Christoforou
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
The Duran’s Alex Christoforou and Editor-in-Chief Alexander Mercouris discuss French President Emmanuel Macron’s statement that Europe is staring at the ‘death of Schengen.’
Macron warned EU leaders of the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent closure of borders, risking the ‘survival of the European Project.’
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Macron WARNS: EU facing “the death of Schengen” by The Duran
The Duran Quick Take: Episode 513. The Duran’s Alex Christoforou and Editor-in-Chief Alexander Mercouris discuss French President Emmanuel Macron’s statement that Europe is staring at the ‘death of Schengen.’ Macron warned EU leaders of the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent closure of borders, risking the ‘survival of the European Project.’
The statement comes as the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which has currently infected almost 465,900 worldwide, continues to increase in all parts of the globe, killing at least 21,000, according to the most recent data.
Speaking to the leaders of the 26 European Union states, French President Emmanuel Macron, during a Thursday video-conference on the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, warned that the bloc’s fundamental projects, including the no-border zone, could be imperiled if the nations fail to show solidarity during the crisis, according to Reuters.
“What’s at stake is the survival of the European project,” Macron told the leaders in the conference call, according to Reuters, citing a French diplomat. “The risk we are facing is the death of Schengen”.
Commenting on a phone call Macron had with US President Donald Trump, the French president noted that France and the US, along with other countries, were preparing “a new strong initiative” in response to the ongoing pandemic, without specifying details.
Emmanuel Macron on Twitter: “Very good discussion with @realDonaldTrump. In response to the COVID-19 crisis, we are preparing with other countries a new strong initiative in the coming days. / Twitter”
Very good discussion with @realDonaldTrump. In response to the COVID-19 crisis, we are preparing with other countries a new strong initiative in the coming days.
The EU is appears to be finding it difficult to develop a common approach to counteract the rapidly spreading threat posed by the deadly pandemic, prompting each country to handle the crisis in a different way. Many states have implemented restrictions and closed borders with other EU nations as a preventive measure to slow the spread of the virus.
“The European Union today is actually unable to cope with its main task — to ensure the functioning of a single market. The main duty of the EU is to ensure united economic space, free movement of labor, goods, services and capital. We have obvious problems today with at least three of these components,” Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid said on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, a draft statement of the European Council seen by Euractiv revealed that EU heads of state have called for the establishment of a Europe-wide crisis management centre in the light of the rapidly spreading COVID-19 pandemic.
On Thursday, 26 EU national leaders held a six-hour videoconference, during which they discussed the outbreak’s repercussions on the bloc’s economy as well as ordering a draft for a recovery plan.
As of Thursday, the European region had registered 29,771 new confirmed infections, to raise the total to 250,287 cases of the deadly coronavirus, along with an additional 1,964 deaths to bring the total to an estimated 13,950.
Nations most afflicted with the virus in the EU are Italy, with at least 74,386 infection cases; followed by Spain, with an estimated 47610 cases; Germany, with at least 36508 cases; France, with an estimated 24920 cases; and Switzerland, reporting 9714 cases.
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
Alexander, don’t you think that indeed Europe will go back to a ‘European Community’, of independent States that ‘work together on various projects’? What else? That to me seems the most likely. You don’t think they will go to war again, of course. And, they will not all become separate autarkies like N. Korea. They will have agreements between themselves and countries like the US, China, Russia (maybe more equally), but I would think they would still feel closer to other European countries. I am not a European, you are. What do you think?
The saying
“God works in mysterious ways”
comes to mind.
Also, “every cloud has a silver lining”. In this case, two clouds – the EU virus and the coronovirus.
The death of Schengen will be a good result.
Nature does not destroy political dreams: human nature does – because of our greed for power.
https://www.ghostsofhistory.wordpress.com/
Were it not so serious….it would be laughable watching the EU waste such precious time squabbling as to how to fight COVID-19. Dismantle the EU – too much sovereignty given up by all EU member nations. Instead, taking an example from the British Commonwealth, create the European Commonwealth and afford more freedom of action to all countries instead of being continuously dictated by Brussels – a straight jacket.